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Tars Defeat Tampa for First Time Since 2010

WINTER PARK, Fla. (September 30, 2017) – Taking on Sunshine State Conference perennial powerhouse the University of Tampa, the Rollins volleyball team earned a well-earned 3-1 victory over the Spartans on Saturday afternoon in Warden Arena. The victory marks the first time since 2010 that the Tars have taken down Tampa, and advances their record to 4-7, and 3-4 in the Sunshine State Conference. The loss for Tampa marks their third straight, and drops the Spartans to a record of 3-10 overall and 1-4 in SSC play.

In the two teams' overall series history, the Spartans hold onto a commanding 87-6 record since their first matchup on November 12, 1977. The win marks just the sixth time the Tars have defeated Tampa in their 40 year series history, and is the first Rollins victory over Tampa since Saturday, September 25, 2010 when the Tars won 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-21).

Leading the way for the Tars was Bri Civiero with 17 kills on the night, followed by Shannon McDonough with 10. McDonough led the team in digs with 16, followed by Civiero and Leslie Seda with 10 apiece. Dishing out 44 assists on 115 total attempts was sophomore Cassidy Cason, who walked away from the evening with a setting percentage of .383. Mary Bethany Vincent had another successful day on defense, leading the match with five total blocks and adding four kills, while Madison Jenkins posted up three blocks, including one solo stop. The Tars earned seven aces on the night, led by McDonough, Cason, and Seda with two apiece. Kerra Tirado had a solid evening, notching nine kills while earning a solo block. Also having a successful match was Jenkins with five kills and four digs along with her three blocks.

The Spartans were led by Nicole Dominguez and Nylah Demps with 17 and 12 kills, respectively. Melissa Elias led Tampa in assists with 33 on 91 total attempts for a setting percentage of .363, while Sammy Mueller earned 10 assists on 24 attempts, posting a setting percentage of .417. The Spartans earned five aces as a team, led by Gen Beaumier with two. Kaitlyn Ajmani earned a match high 22 digs, followed by Demps with 10. Out of the Spartans' 14 total blocks as a team, Dominguez earned three, including a match best two solo blocks, and Danielle Christian earned three as well with one solo block and two assisted.

COACH ROBINSON'S THOUGHTS:"One of the things that I love about Sunshine State volleyball is that you can count on every night being a battle. Tonight was no exception, and I'm really proud of our team for digging in and battling through this match."

NOTES:

The Tars battled through four sets to come out on top in a match that saw the score tied 45 times while the lead change hands on 16 different occasions. Set three proved to be the most challenging as the Tars saw the score tied 19 times while the lead changed seven times.

Rollins and Tampa have now matched up 93 times since their first meeting on November 12, 1977. The Spartans lead the all-time series, 87-6.

The victory for the Tars marks the first time in seven years that Rollins has taken down Tampa. The last time Rollins earned a victory over the Spartans was on September 25, 2010 when the Tars won, 3-0 (25-17, 25-21, 25-21).

Rollins has defeated the Spartans in four sets on two other occasions. The first was on November 8, 1983, and the second was on September 22, 1995.

Shannon McDonough earned her fifth straight double-double, marking her seventh of the season.

Bri Civiero earned her third consecutive double-double, and her fifth on the season.

Fans can follow Tars volleyball all season long with live audio and video on the Tars Sports Network at RollinsSports.com, where the latest news, updates, and information on the Rollins volleyball team can also be accessed. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest #TARnation news by following Rollins Sports on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.